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December 2010 | Faculty and Staff Highlights

Mount Mercy celebrates the accomplishments of our faculty and staff - check out some highlights and see what we've been up to!

Professor of Business Kathryn Coulter and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Deb Brydon were judges for the Tenth Annual University of Iowa National Mock Trial tournament on November 14. There were 30 teams from around the United States competing in the mock civil lawsuit against a toy company that sold tainted beads leading to the death of a two year-old.

Program Director of Marriage and Family Therapy Randy Lyle was invited to present at the Children At Risk Cross Training program on November 18-19, held at Horizons, a Family Service Alliance. He discussed the neurodevelopment issues of growing children and families and how to give children their best chance at leading a successful life.

Reference Librarian and Archivist Kristy Raine recently spearheaded the website project, "When Tillage Begins: The Stone City Art Colony and School" the definitive project on Grant Wood's 1932-1933 art colony in Stone City, Iowa. Raine's work was noted in, Grant Wood: A Life, by R. Tripp Evans. The book, which has received much praise in the press, is the first Wood biography in almost 70 years. Raine also helped organized Evans’ recent appearance at the Anamosa Library and Learning Center, where he closed the Iowa portion of his national book tour.

Advance Program Director Colette Atkins, Registrar Jason Clapp and Associate Registrar Chance McWorthy attended the Upper Midwest Association of Collegiate Registrars (UMACRAO) on November 3-5 in Minneapolis, Minn. Clapp and Atkins presented "Serving adult students through Micro-One-Stops." Clapp and representatives from the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota also presented, "Software conversion and implementation: The great switcheroo."

Lecturer of Business Anne King and Director of Annual Support Patrick Collins have helped initiate the new student-run philanthropy club Students Leaving a Mark (SLAM). The new club provides student-driven initiatives that seek to educate the campus on giving, while recognizing and thanking contributions already made by current students. Student involvement in SLAM provides the opportunity for students to show their pride in Mount Mercy and participate in a long-standing tradition and mission of giving.

Director of Student Activities and Orientation Sarah Botkin has been selected as a Coach for the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) new professional's webinar program. Each coach will mentor one candidate and guide them through an introduction as a full-time student affairs professional and guide them through the process of creating a professional development plan.

Director of International Programs Catharine Cashner will serve as a volunteer Short-Term Election Observer during the presidential elections held in Belarus during December 2010. The election observation mission is organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), an institution concerned with issues of peace, security, and human rights in Europe and Central Asia. Over 400 observers from 26 countries will participate in this mission.

Mount Mercy in the News

Professor of Psychology and Dean of Graduate Studies Melody Graham was a guest speaker on KCRG TV-9's Ethical Perspectives on the News on October 26. The topic of the panel was "The Crisis in Higher Education." Graham was also featured in The Cedar Rapids Gazette November 25 for a Thanksgiving Day special on the evolution of gratitude.

Mount Mercy Men and Women's Cross Country Coach Ryan Scheckel was featured on KGYM 1600 AM on November 16 for leading the Mustangs to their second league title and first-ever berth in the NAIA championships.

Mount Mercy University was featured in The Cedar Rapids Gazette on November 2 for being awarded a $125,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust for undergraduate research in biology and chemistry programs. The grant was also featured in The Catholic Witness on November 7.

Students in the Honors Student Association were featured in The Cedar Rapids Gazette on November 2 and The Catholic Witness on November 7 for participating in "Trick-or-Canning" this past Halloween to raise canned goods for the Catherine McAuley Center.

Junior Emily McLane was featured in The Corridor Business Journal's Movers and Shakers section for her internship position at Novo Alternative Marketing.

Professor of Business Anne King was featured in the Corridor Business Journal on November 1 for a feature on succession planning tips for businesses. "It's the future planning for your business, for that inevitable event, whether it be a retirement or an illness or a death, and it's planning for what steps you or those around you need to take when that event happens."-Anne King, Corridor Business Journal

Professor of Nursing Mary Tarbox was featured in The Corridor Business Journal's Movers and Shakers on November 29 for being named to the board of directors with the Catherine McAuley Center.

Women's Basketball players Kadie Carman, Micha Mims, Laura Lippert, Emily Greiner, Amanda Frost, Ashley Koch, Tonya Davis, and Amanda Gaskin were featured in The Cedar Rapids Gazette on November 28 for their work as the team rolled past Purdue Calumet, 103 -70.